Composite sucker rods have been used for a number of years to replace much heavier steel sucker rods used for artificial lift in downhole pumps. Fiberglass rods were first used and today carbon fiber rods have been developed for use. Composite rods perform well in tension, but will fail in compression, often splintering and sometimes creating “bird's nests” which requires pulling production tubing to remove failed sucker rod components from the well, which is extremely costly. During use, sucker rods are reciprocated upward and downward within production tubing to pull fluids from within wells, stretching the sucker rods as loads are applied and then sometimes compressing the sucker rods as loads are released, and subjecting sucker rods to cyclical loads. Other well dynamics, such as stuck pumps from trash, deviation, crooked well-bores with changing geometry can also induce compression loads into the sucker rod string.